"For the record… date, time, and witness present. Commencing interview." His voice was flat, but the weight underneath was careful, layered. A man playing two games at once—keeping appearances for the official feed while threading the needle for Xavier's hidden agenda.
Alexander sneered, yanking at his cuffs. "You're actually going through with this circus? Letting him sit across from me like he's an equal?"
Dominic didn't look at him. "You don't get to set the terms anymore, Alexander. Now sit tight."
He turned fully to Xavier. "Start from the beginning. The attack on your apartment. Who was there, what happened, what you remember. Be precise."
Xavier let the silence hang for a beat longer than comfortable, his grin sharpening. He glanced at Alexander, then back at Dominic, as if weighing how much theater to lace into his words.
"Well," Xavier finally said, voice calm, "it all started when I woke up to the sound of knives scraping in the dark…"
